Stories for Ellie
by Kitty.M.Smith
Summary: After a lot of wondering, Ellie decides to ask Joel what was up between him and Tess. Will continue if reviews are received, slight/possible JoelxTess.
1. Chapter 1

Thanks to Pewdiepie I got into this game and I felt like writing a fanfiction for it. I'm not entirely sure where it is going, but I'll continue if I get enough reviews/PMs about it. Otherwise it'll remain a one-shot.

The Last of Us belongs to Naughty Dog, this fanfiction belongs to me and any characters I happen to create and put in it.

* * *

Joel looked up at the ancient weeping willow. It's branches were thick and windy, with many dips and twists.

"Ellie, I found a place for us to sleep." He told the fourteen year old behind him. he went to the car width trunk of the tree and bent down. "C'mon kid, up ya go."

Ellie just nodded and grunted as Joel boosted her up to the base. Once up he handed her his pack. "Ya ready?"

"As always, old timer." Ellie smiled a bit at the grizzly old man as he jumped up and grabbed a hold of her hand. Over the past few months they'd become a close knit, in tune team. Both became stronger, smarter, faster, and wiser. Both learned to loosen up a bit as well, which was good for anyone in this kind of world. People needed to be open with each other sometimes, for the sake of sanity.

Ellie lifted him up with ease that was unusual for most children her age due to the strength she'd gained from having to do it for so long. Since Tess had been lost, she'd almost...replaced her as Joel's partner, though she knew she never would truly be Tess. As the two wandered up the thick and sturdy branches, searching for the proper place to rest for a night or more, she thought on them. She really knew very little on him and Tess. She'd guessed maybe there was something romantic, though more than likely just a deep bond of friendship. Joel had to be, what, 50? He didn't seem the type to go with a woman so...young.

Though, he also didn't seem one to have once been a hunter.

She took this into account as they set up their sleeping bags in a dip of intertwining branches far above the ground, well away from any zombies that might wander by.

"Hey Joel?" Ellie said while sitting on her sleeping bag with one of her comic books. Joel grunted to say he was listening while taking out a can of beans, which he split into two bowls and gave one to Ellie.

"Can I...uh...ask ya somethin'?" She put the book away and took a bite of her food. They had no utensils, using their fingers instead.

"Depends on what ya mean by somethin' Ellie." Joel said, looking at her a bit cautiously while eating his own food, barbeque sauce on his greying beard.

"Well uh...just like...uh..." Ellie paused, thinking how to go about it. "Can ya tell me a story?"

Joel blinked. "You want a story?"

Ellie nodded. "Yeah..."

"Well, about what?" Joel began to think of the several things he could tell her about the world before it all went to hell.

"How you n' Tess met."

Joel nearly choked on his food and looked at her, nearly glaring. "No."

"Please?"

"I don't see it as any business of yours how Tess n' I met-"

"It kinda is." Ellie interrupted, looking at her food.

"How is it then?!" Joel finished his food, licking the bowl clean and shoving it into his pack.

"You wouldn't have taken me if Tess hadn't told ya to."

Joel froze, staring at his feet, then his hands. Ellie watched his eyes as they continued to wandered, stopping at a ring on his hand-a spoon ring. She'd known a girl at the boarding school who had one. It was literally a ring made out of a spoon, and was rather pretty. Joel's was made to look like a half moon with a wolf howling by it. It was grimy and in dire need of a good polishing.

"...She giv-"

"I'll tell ya how we met kid." Joel said finally, looking to her. "I'll tell ya a story."

Ellie couldn't help but grin, quickly wolfing down the rest of her food and putting her bowl in Joel's pack and going up to him and sitting cross legged in front of the man as he crossed his arms and leaned against and uprising limb.

"So...this is how it went..."

* * *

It was five years after the world had turned to shit.

Joel, now 40, was a hardened dog-eat-dog styled man. He knew it was kill or be killed, and he wasn't going to be the latter.

Though he almost was once.

He had decided to quit hunting. He couldn't stand it, killing all the people. All the uninfected. They should be working to overrun the zombies with normal people so they could kill them all or something, not killing their own! But he hadn't been discreet about it. He'd told a man-a man he considered a friend, a confident. Little did he know this very man was working with the ringleader. He was now being chased down by three of the members of the hunters, through the alleys and up into various abandoned buildings. Joel didn't go into any he hadn't gone into before, though. He wasn't stupid. He wasn't going to get caught by a clicker.

He rushed up the stairs of an old apartment building, turning for only a second to shoot, riding himself of one man.

"He got Josh!"

"KILL THE BASTARD!"

"Shit!" Joel muttered and ran faster up the stairs as bullets flew past him, grazing his skin. He got to the second floor and ran to the end of the hall, the men hot on his tail. That's where he found himself cornered in the kitchen of one of the apartments. He turned around in a panic, his breathing rapid and uneven. The crooks smirked smugly.

"Caught a rat today." One said, smirking. He rose his gun to shoot Joel, right between the eyes. He would be with Sarah, at least. Right before the man shot, his head exploded. Then the other one.

"ASSHOLES!"

Joel stood in shock as a pretty young woman stepped into his vision. She was probably 10 or more years younger than him and had fair brown hair and deep brown eyes. She was rugged, completely made of muscle. She had a pack on her back, a black t-shirt and blue jeans, along with new looking Nike shoes.

"Hey, you infected?" Her voice was tough as she looked as she came up close to Joel, gun still ready to shoot, examining him.

"Nah I-uh I was just runnin'." Joel said breathlessly.

"Why?"

"They're hunters. I was one...but I quit."

"Weren't having any of that, eh?" The woman smirked and then stuck her gun in her pocket and turned and looted the men of their ammo, food, whatever they had. "Name's Tess. What's yours, survivor?"

Joel ran a hand through his hair. "Uh, Joel."

"Nice. Sound like a country singer name." She tossed him an extra gun, fully loaded. "I'm from out west. You?"

"Texas." He checked the gun over and then put it in his pocket, looking at her oddly. Why did this strange woman just save his life and give him a free gun with ammo, really?

"Thought so. You got that twang." She smiled some. "Guessin' you alone in this world?"

Joel sighed, his mind wandering to Sarah. "Yeah."

"Well you ain't anymore. Follow me, I know a way out." She began walking the opposite direction. Joel just followed her without really knowing it.

"Why are you-"

"Helping you? Life gets lonely in this world. Besides, any guy getting chased down by these hunters that isn't infected gets some brownie points from me." She smirked while going down the stairs, looting the body of the man Joel had gotten earlier.

"You trust to easy." He muttered, taking the gauze and alcohol she offered him.

"No, I just know who I can trust." She continued to lead him about the city. "This way, Tex, don't slow us down."

"I'm movin', I'm movin', sheesh woman."

"Well you're moving like a snail." She slowed down enough to whack him upside the head and then continued.

"Ow! What the hell-don't get on me movin' lika' snail there are hunters all around here!"

"Mhm, whatever."

Joel growled, prepared to make a smart remark when a pack of hunters jumped them. None did. He was actually disappointed at the lack of his life being put into jeopardy.

They reached a large wall, one which neither could get up without assistance.

"How much you weigh?" Tess asked while looking up at the wall.

"Uh, more than you." Joel went by the wall and bend down, making a cup with his hands. "I'll give ya a boost."

She smirked. "And you say I trust to easy." She took up his offer and was soon up on top of the wall. She leaned over and held out her hand. "Grab on Texas."

He did so, surprised at the ease she lifted him up and over, revealing she was standing on top of a truck. Now they were out of the city.

"Damn, you're strong." He commented, looking her up and down before jumping off.

"Thanks. Always have been." She followed him down and began walking down the road towards an intersection, checking cars as she went. "C'mere and start this car."

"You're bossy." Joel commented, but complied. He didn't know why, but he just felt a need to do as she said. Maybe it was because she was a woman that terrified him.

"Comes with being the eldest of seven kids." She said while messing with whatever was under the hood of the car she was looking at.

"Seven?! Jeezus woman." Joel shook his head.

"Yeah. What, you an only child?"

Joel sighed. "Nah, I got a brother."

"Nice. I got six." She commanded him to start the car, it working immediately to his surprise. She wordlessly took out some tools for siphoning from her pack and siphoned gas from a couple cars and filled the tank of that one before kicking Joel out of the driver and taking it for herself. "You ride shotgun Joel."

Joel looked agrivated. "Why?!"

"Because you have an actual gawd-damn shotgun! Now get!"

Joel blinked, realizing she was correct and complied grumpily. "You're kinda a bitch, you know that?"

"Thanks, I've been working hard at it." And she drove, starting a partnership that would last a long damn time.

* * *

Joel finished his story and got into his sleeping bag while Ellie sat with a surprised face. "Now git ta bed kid."

"She was kinda a bitch." Ellie commented, getting into her own, looking up at the night sky.

"Yeah she was, always was. Always bossy too." Joel said, yawning. Inside he couldn't stop thinking about the woman, and how she was more than bossy, she was smart.

"Joel?"

"Yeah Ellie?"

"Will you tell me anything else about you and Tess?"

"Go to bed, Ellie."


	2. Chapter 2

I'm so glad everyone liked this so much! BROFIST TO ALL THE PEWDIEPIE FANS OUT THERE! :D

And, to Lucas, who left the following comment:

"I will chop your balls off if you stop writing this"

I decided that because of this I should inform everyone I am, in fact, FEMALE. XD

Again, please REVIEW. I will only continue this if I receive REVIEWS. Though favorites and follows are GREATLY appreciated! I love them infact! Thank you ALL for REVIEWING, FOLLOWING, and FAVORITING. :D

The Last of Us belongs to Naughty Dog, the fanfiction is mine. Anything I create for this belongs to me and no one has permission to use it.

* * *

"CLICKER!"

Joel whirled around and shot the clicker right in the head, watching it fall and squirt expired blood all over itself and the floor of the abandoned house they'd found out in a wheat field.

"Thanks, Ellie." Joel breathed deeply before reloading. "That was the last one. I'm gonna go upstairs and check it for loot, you check down here."

"Ok."

They went their separate ways. Joel found two comic books, ammo, and a Harry Potter book. "I'm gonna git that girl to read some real writing." He muttered, taking it along with everything else.

"Holy shit! Joel, get down here! I found something _awesome!"_

Joel went down the stairs and found Ellie standing by an open cellar, proudly holding a box of unopened Twinkies.

"These things survived!" She grinned. "What are they?"

Joel grinned back. "Those, Ellie, are Twinkies. Also known as God's gift to man." He grabbed the box and then looked in the cellar and jumped down. "Damn, this place is stocked tight!" He looked at the shelves and shelves of food, canned and boxed. He wasn't all that sure on the boxed stuff, but everything else...it was good enough.

"Yeah, I know right?...Are ya...uh...proud of me?" Ellie jumped down after him, a bit hesitant with her words.

"Yeah, yeah I am Ellie." The gruff old man's face crinkled in a rare smile. "Pick what you wanna eat."

She nodded and went off, soon returning with a can of Chef Boyardee ravioli and canned peaches. Joel began to cook the ravioli-after getting a can for himself- on the small gas powered stove they'd found awhile back. While it cooked they both ate peaches.

Ellie once again found herself wondering on him and Tess. Did they ever share a meal like this? Ever get lucky like this? Then she wondered on Bill. Jackass from hell. She recalled he'd mentioned having a deal with Tess of some sort and wondered what it was between them. Once Joel handed her a bowl of ravioli and a spoon from the kitchen, she decided to ask once again.

"Hey Joooooeeelll-"

"The hell you want kid." Joel sighed, already guessing by the look on her face.

"How bouta' nother story, huh?"

He sighed again. "Bout what?"

"How'd ya meet Bill?" She scooped a bite of the ravioli in her mouth, finding it the most delicious thing she ever tasted, and chewed slowly.

"Through Tess." He talked to his food while eating it. "Guessin' you want the story don't you."

"Yep." She smiled, licking her fingers.

Joel again stared at the spoon ring and then to her and glared.

"Pleeeeeaaaassssee?" Ellie pouted, just like the girls did at school to get something extra to eat from the cooks.

"Gawd dammit kid." Joel nearly slammed his bowl on the ground and sighed. "Fine, fine, I'll tell ya'."

* * *

"Who the fuck is this guy, eh Tess?" Joel asked while eating an apple he'd gotten from a tree a few miles back.

"Bill. Family friend. Paranoid as they come, smart as hell, and grumpier than a Tasmanian Devil with a stick up his ass." She said, eating her own apple.

"Hm. Sounds friendly." He snorted. Two years smuggling with this woman and he'd still a lot to learn about her.

"Yeah. Let's go with that." She rolled her eyes as they reached a wall. "Alright Texas bend down."

Joel did so, she jumping the wall and lifting him. They both jumped on the ground after that. They were soon greeted by two runners and a clicker. Joel quickly took out the clicker while Tess shot one of the runners with an arrow. Seconds later, the other tackled her to the ground.

"Tess!" Joel's eyes widened in concern and he aligned the zombie in his sights, nearly firing until someone else took it out.

"Gawd damn it woman!" A grungy old man in an army coat with a bit much meat on his bones for a person living in these sort of times rushed out from an alley and helped Tess up. "You're a fuckin' idiot you know that?!"

Tess dusted herself off. "Hi, Bill."

Bill immediately turned to Joel and shoved him to the ground. "Who the hell are you?! Got any bites?!" He jabbed and poked him while searching until Joel flipped around and kicked the man in the chest, launching him into the wall.

"Tess, what the hell is this guys problem?!" Joel instinctively had his gun aimed at Bill. Tess rolled her eyes and helped him up.

"This is Joel, Bill. The guy I told ya about during our last drop off." She walked over and made Joel lower his gun. "Joel, this is Bill. He's fuckin' nuts."

Bill waved, breathing heavily. "Hi, jackass."

Joel nodded. "Same to you, ass hat."

Tess rolled her eyes again. "Quit bickering. Bill, there any more infected around this area?" Bill shook his head. "Nah, those were the only ones. But we should get in-just in case."

Joel just huffed and put his pack back on, which had fallen in the tussle. Bill then led them through the abandoned town, telling them about traps here or there, always muttering to himself about improvements to be made and walls to be built.

"Does he always chatter ta himself like that?" Joel whispered to Tess, who chuckled lightly.

"Yeah. He ain't got no one here but himself most the time."

"That'll drive a man insane." Joel muttered.

"Joel, he never was sane to begin with."

Bill led them half across town to an old catholic church. Joel stared up at the high roofed building, fleetingly remembering going to church with Sarah. She'd always wear a blue flowered dress her mother had made her before she died-she'd let down the hem every year. She never would throw that thing away... Joel shook his head, ripping himself from his thoughts and entering the church with Tess and Bill. There were several disorderly shelves sitting about stacked with food, pills, and other supplies.

"Damn Bill, you got a gold mine here!" Joel hadn't seen this much supplies in one place in years.

"Ya could say that." Bill said as he nailed a board over a window. "You could also call it a hunter's paradise. Bastards always try to break into my town-infected chase them off though. Always make sure to keep a few around for self defense."

Joel swallowed, thinking of his past. Tess gave him a look that said not to mention a single thing about anything he did before. Joel looked at the weapons all around the room and mentally agreed.

"Ya ever deal with any of those shit heads, Joel?" Bill asked, taking a can of peaches out and opening it, splitting it between the three of them.

"...Yeah...I dealt with them." Joel thanked him for the peaches and quickly ate them. "They ain't kind people."

Bill snorted. "Ain't no one a kind person these days. All the kind ones are dead."

Joel blinked and decided to just stare outside the window as Tess and Bill talked. He slightly listened, finding out they were speaking about a trade with some guys down in Boston. Pills for ration cards or something. At that, he began to listen more.

"I got all the pills, what I need is ammo." Bill said in a growling tone. "I can't use any of that ration card shit. No quarantine zone until Boston from here."

Tess nodded. "I can getcha ammo, Bill. What I need is the ration cards. That's why I'm askin' you to agree to that."

Bill furrowed his brow. "What the hell you want ration cards for?"

Tess was silent. Joel turned to her, realizing what she was suggesting-something she'd been hinting at for the last year. Bill seemed to realize it to.

"Oh no, no Tess, you're," he scoffed, "you're sayin' you wanna _settle down?_ Ain't life taught you a damn thing?!"

Tess clenched the tin that contained her uneaten peaches. "I don't wanna settle down, I wanna have a stable business."

"What for? He knock your dumb ass up?" Bill jerked his thumb to Joel, who immediately began blushing out of embarrassment. Tess slapped his hand away and then smacked him upside the head.

"No you idiot! I been on both sides-I been in the business longer than you and I know what goes on. Hiding out in a little place, getting your name known, having people come to you. Yeah, it's nice. But you don't got supplies right at the ready-you don't got _nothin'_ but your wits and skill."

"What's so bad about that? I'm doin' alright!" Bill exclaimed, gesturing to his superior arsenal.

"I don't give a fuck if you're doin' alright Bill, what you're doing takes constant surveillance and work and is twice as dangerous as workin' from a quarantine zone."

"So?"

"I'm fuckin' tired, Bill! And lazy!" She nearly threw the peaches out the window but stopped herself in time, shoving them into Joel's hands. "Here Texas eat up."

"Tess I already-"

"Eat. The. Damn. Fruit."

"Yes ma'am." Joel knew not to mess with Tess when she got the pissed off mother tone. Bill laughed.

"Boy she got you pussy whipped, don't she?" He smirked. That is, until Tess knocked him off the crate he was sitting on. He howled in pain and held his hand to his cheek. "Dammit, Tess!"

Tess took of her pack and silently stole some cans of food and fresh fruit. "Shut up Bill. We're going to Boston, we're getting ammo and we're getting ration cards. Give us the shit you want to be taken down and we'll be on our damn way out of your little insane house of a town."

Bill blinked, frozen there for a moment. Slowly and surely he did stand though, retreating to a back room and returning with a couple bags of pills, which he handed off to Joel.

"You carry 'em."

Joel blinked. "I don't wanna carry them."

Tess smacked his arm. "Carry them, Joel."

"Yes, ma'am." Joel loaded the medicine into his pack and put it back on his bag. "We leavin' now?"

"Yeah. Good seein' ya again Bill. Be back in 'bout a week."

Bill nodded. "You still remember the route out?"

"Hell yeah. I'm not getting chased by a pack of runners again." Tess inhaled deeply and tugged at Joel's sleeve, signaling him to follow her. They both walked out of the church and took the route out Tess remembered.

On to Boston.

* * *

"So Bill always was nuts." Ellie thought aloud, slowly eating and savoring the Twinkie Joel had given her while telling the story.

"Yeah. Not as nuts as he is now, but he was nuts."

"There was so much more stuff back then, wasn't there?" She licked crème from her lips.

"Hells yeah. There's still plenty now-easier to find natural stuff- but then it was easier pickin'." Joel dusted the Twinkie from his hands, licked his fingers and stretched. He then set up his sleeping bag and got in it.

"...Would we ever run out of food?" Ellie now looked worried, thinking about the future.

"Nah. There's always natural stuff. Vegatables, fruits. Animals. If stuff ever stopped being manufactured then we could all just go hick it out in the woods, live off the land. Like the Indians."

"The what?"

Joel smiled a bit. "A story for another night, girlie."

"Oh c'mon."

"Nope."

"Please!"

"Nope."

"Jooeeeeellll!"

"_Good night._" Joel chuckled as Ellie groaned and turned over, quickly falling asleep.


End file.
